From the floor (I don't have a rack) and I go to rock bottom. So far, I haven't heard any tearing sounds.
I agree with the thibarmy article you posted aboveNah.
I much much much prefer a fully racked barbell front squat.
THIS. 100%.Yes, to an extent the front squat also increases core activation, although nowhere near the Zercher, you need to have done both at a high level to know it.And oddly enough, the better technically you are on the front squat, the less important core strength becomes. The more upright you are when you do the front squat, the less the core needs to work. Whereas even if you stay upright in a Zercher, you still get an increase in core contraction intensity because of the position of the bar.
Per the SF Barbell series, you simply deadlift the bar onto your thighs (narrow sumo stance). Of course, you do have to have decent hamstring flexibility to pull an Olympic bar off the floor laying flat. The cheat would be to use some type of blocks to raise the bar up for deadlifting into your thighs.Since the bar is unloaded, how are you getting your elbows under it off the floor?
Wouldn't it be too low if it's not on plates?
Or maybe I misunderstood...
Yah, when I felt my core light up I thought "so this is what Neupert has been banging on about all these years."THIS. 100%.
Per the SF Barbell series, you simply deadlift the bar onto your thighs (narrow sumo stance). Of course, you do have to have decent hamstring flexibility to pull an Olympic bar off the floor laying flat. The cheat would be to use some type of blocks to raise the bar up for deadlifting into your thighs.
I agree with the thibarmy article you posted above
Barbell - Newbie Experience of a Zercher Squat with Unloaded Olympic Bar
So, I finally attempted the Zercher - Dan John says in his experience people either love it or hate it. I did it with the 45 lb 7 foot olympic bar so I couldn't possibly bias the results by too much load. My opinion? I don't know whether I will love it when I add it into the training routines...www.strongfirst.com
“The front squat will do the same“.Not if you front squat properly!In a proper front squat (when you keep your torso upright), the barbell remains over the centre of the base of support. In a back squat, it is more toward the rear of the base of support, and in a Zercher squat the bar is more forward; it is toward the front of the base of support, sometimes out of the base of support completely.So right off the bat, the Zercher puts the bar in a position that drastically increases the demand on the core. Even one inch makes a huge difference in tension.On top of that, because the bar is held in the crook of your elbows it will tend to try to “pull your torso forward and down”. Preventing that also dramatically increases core contraction.“Yeah but when I front squat I bend forward, won’t that also increase core activation?”Those who bend forward in a front squat don’t know how to front squat. The torso angle should remain the same throughout the lift and you should be as upright as your levers allow you to be.But I get what you are saying.Yes, to an extent the front squat also increases core activation, although nowhere near the Zercher, you need to have done both at a high level to know it.And oddly enough, the better technically you are on the front squat, the less important core strength becomes. The more upright you are when you do the front squat, the less the core needs to work. Whereas even if you stay upright in a Zercher, you still get an increase in core contraction intensity because of the position of the bar.
Zercher is a decent exercise, I can do it with both upright, atg form or low bar form (sit back).
Problem with zercher is for me, it doesn't transfer directly to my main lifts. It's like dips for bench.
But zercher feels great though.
Both, I mix the “pick”. I’m not zercher deadlifting though like the above video.Do you take them from the rack or from the floor?
To parallel or rock bottom?
Dan John said it has a U-shaped acceptance curve amongst trainees. I suspect people's individual anatomical differences are what account for the range of preferences.Zercher is a decent exercise, I can do it with both upright, atg form or low bar form (sit back).
Problem with zercher is for me, it doesn't transfer directly to my main lifts. It's like dips for bench.
But zercher feels great though.
I was hoping he would start bouncing the bar up in the air off his arms like returning a ball in a volleyball game.A Zercher Get-Up!
I recently did an overhead squat PR of 45lbs.Elitist mobility would be preferring overhead squats.
I recently did an overhead squat PR of 45lbs.
I need to work on shoulder mobility lol
Same here. Zercher has been my primary squat for the past couple years. Once I get back to it, I want to get back into the weightlifting gym to get some coaching on front squats but in the meantime I feel like zerchers give a lot. It doesn’t take much coaching and I hope to zercher more. I was watching a session with Canadian strongman JF Coran and he said he doesn’t think about it. The deadlift and squat are basic human movements that are always in his training. So I like that. No matter what training I do, those two lifts will always be in my weekly training.I have to wonder, how much the people who speak of of carryover have actually trained or coached the zercher squat. Still, it is a valid question.
The zercher seems to be a lift you either get or don't. Can't say I've heard of many people change opinions on it.
I like it. I like variety.